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WAMS - UK5 - Transparency Notice (TN)

DEFENCE EQUIPMENT AND SUPPORT

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

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22 Jul 2026 at 10:51

UK5 - Transparency Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The recent procurement process involved the Defence Equipment and Support, a central government public authority, based in Bristol, United Kingdom. The contract, titled "WAMS - UK5 - Transparency Notice (TN)," falls under the industry category of goods, specifically relating to aviation maintenance equipment. The procurement process has reached the award stage, with the contract awarded to Aviation Spares & Repairs Limited. This contract, valued at £370,000 excluding VAT, is for manufacturing three Wrap Around Maintenance Staging (WAMS) units to be used with F-35 air vehicles. The procurement method employed was a direct award, justified under Section 41 of the Procurement Act 2023 due to the specific technical and intellectual property rights held by the supplier. The contractual period is set from 31 October 2026 to 31 October 2027.

This tender presents a strategic opportunity for businesses involved in specialised aviation equipment production, as it highlights the demand for tailored maintenance staging systems with exclusive compatibility requirements. Companies with unique intellectual property, technical expertise, and previous experience in producing compatible aviation accessories would be well-suited to compete in similar future tenders. Such contracts enable suppliers to cultivate specialised skills and establish a strong reputation with key government agencies, potentially leading to further opportunities for collaborative innovation and industry leadership. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with capabilities in precision engineering and understanding of safety regulations could particularly benefit from engaging in this niche market.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

WAMS - UK5 - Transparency Notice (TN)

Notice Description

Wrap Around Maintenance Staging (WAMS) is a Fall Arrest and access system designed for use with UK F-35 air vehicles. It provides access for inspection and maintenance tasks, while providing fall arrest mitigating the risk while Working at Height on the Aircraft. Procurement involves the manufacturing of three WAMS units.

Procurement Information

The Lightning Delivery Team (LDT), part of the UK Ministry of Defence, intends to award a contract to Aviation Spares & Repairs (ASR) Ltd for the manufacture and production of Wrap Around Maintenance Staging (WAMS) to enable maintenance activities on the Lightning II aircraft (F-35). The contract will be for a term of 1 year and have an estimated value of PS370K (Exclusive of VAT). It is considered that this contract can be awarded under Section 41 of the Procurement Act 2023 because the direct award justification specified in paragraph 7 of Schedule 5 (Additional or repeat goods, services or works) applies. Working at Height equipment (WAMS) is required to allow the Lightning workforce to conduct aircraft maintenance activity safely and in line with Health & Safety (H&S) regulations. The staging must closely follow the contours of the aircraft due to H&S regulations so generic staging is not suitable or appropriate. The original contract for WAMS was awarded to ASR Ltd via competition in 2018 under DSPCR 2011. As a result, ASR Ltd is the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) of the WAMS and has exclusive Intellectual Property (IP) rights to the technical drawings required to manufacture the staging. Only the OEM has the required technical drawings, tools, knowledge and expertise to manufacture staging that is compatible with the aircraft. An unforeseen requirement for additional WAMS aircraft staging units has now arisen, to meet a need to expand concurrent maintenance activities. Compatibility across all the working at height assemblies is required so that the WAMS modules can be used interchangeably and allow flexibility across the capability. A different solution would result in two different sets of incompatible staging being used simultaneously, and the incompatibilities would create disproportionate technical difficulties in the operation and maintenance of the two sets of staging, therefore there are no reasonable alternatives.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-06d0b1
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/069094-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK5 - Transparency Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Goods
Procurement Method
Direct
Procurement Method Details
Direct award
Tender Suitability
SME
Awardee Scale
SME

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

34 - Transport equipment and auxiliary products to transportation

CPV Codes

34969200 - Passenger boarding stairs for aircraft

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
£370,000 £100K-£500K
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
22 Jul 20262 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
22 Jul 20262 weeks ago
Contract Period
31 Oct 2026 - 31 Oct 2027 1-2 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Complete
Lots Status
Complete
Awards Status
Pending
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
DEFENCE EQUIPMENT AND SUPPORT
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
BRISTOL
Postcode
BS34 8JH
Post Town
Bristol
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLK South West (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLK5 West of England
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLK52 Bath & North East Somerset and South Gloucestershire
Delivery Location
Not specified
Local Authority
South Gloucestershire
Electoral Ward
Stoke Park & Cheswick
Westminster Constituency
Filton and Bradley Stoke

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

AVIATION SPARES & REPAIRS

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

JSON Markdown

The Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS) is a framework designed to increase transparency and access to public procurement data in the public sector. It is widely used by governments and organisations worldwide to report on procurement processes and contracts. 

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